Indoor air quality, psychosocial stress and symptoms in workers in modern European office buildings : results from the OFFICAIR study questionnaire

Introduction: Indoor air quality (IAQ) in office buildings has been associated to symptoms, including mucosal irritation and general symptoms. Indoor air pollutants could also be related to cardiovascular effects and the role of psychosocial stress as a potential effect modifier has been hypothesized. This study aims to investigate the association between IAQ perception and symptoms, taking into account the role of psychosocial stress, in the frame of the OFFICAIR project Materials and methods: A questionnaire on IAQ perception, symptoms, and psychosocial stress was delivered online in 160 modern office buildings with more than 30 employees, in eight European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Hungary, The Netherlands and Finland) between October 2011 and March 2012. A checklist was also filled in with building characteristics. Mixed-effects models will be used to investigate the association between IAQ and symptoms. Preliminary results: At the moment the questionnaire has been delivered to 23426 in 145 out of 160 buildings. 5878 workers completed the questionnaire (25% response rate). The mean (SD) age was 40.2(10) years. The participants were prevalently female, never smokers, with a clerical/secretarial job and a full time permanent contract. The most frequently symptoms were dry eyes and dry skin (reported by approx. 20% of workers). 36% and 22% of workers were unsatisfied by overall IAQ and comfort respectively; the most frequent reported complains were “air too dry”, “too much noise from inside the building” and “air too still” (>40% of workers). 67% of participants reported a pleasant mood. Conclusions: The obtained results will provide further insight into the associations between IAQ and symptoms, taking into account the potential role of psychosocial stress.